no title

High school students battle in comical improv competitions

Columbus schools face off in league devoted to comical twists of improv

View SlideshowRequest to buy this photoBROOKE L
aVALLEY |
DISPATCH PHOTOSDominion Middle School students — from left: Seth Peacock, Henry Morris and David Maston, all 13 — perform an improvised skit during the first TheatreSports League competition, at Walnut Ridge High School.

The improvisational team from Walnut Ridge High School had been challenged by the Devious Devils
of Dominion Middle School to deliver a scene in a dentist’s office.

The audience added to the fun — and difficulty — by suggesting that the office be situated in a
dark alley.

Instinctively, Creshaun Cole of the Clowns mimed a dentist groping through a trash bin to find
the tools to extract a tooth from patient and teammate Rashad Turner.

Then, inspired by the dark alley, teammate DeQuan Sims barked “Scary movie” from offstage —
reflecting an early Class Clowns decision to frame the performance according to an improv game
called Styles, in which a member periodically shouts a new style for the performers to adopt.

Cole and Turner breathed heavily and looked around, as if frightened by a pursuer.

The commands and responses continued for a full two minutes before the performance clock
expired; then the Devious Devils were put in the hot seat.

The quick-moving, high-energy matchup represented only the last of six head-to-head playoff
rounds in the inaugural TheatreSports League competition, sponsored by Columbus City Schools.

Also taking part last month in the round-robin format at Walnut Ridge were the Drama Queens of
West High School.

With three teams having bowed out because of last-minute problems, the Class Clowns — who won
the playoffs — will face the teams from Dominion and West again on Friday during the championship,
at Dominion.

TheatreSports, though a team competition, was inspired by professional wrestling as a way to
enhance the drama of improv theater within a sports framework.

“TheatreSports can get as creative or crazy as you want,” said Brian Shipley, the Walnut Ridge
drama teacher who organized the district league.

The concept originated in 1977 with Keith Johnstone — a Canadian actor, director and educator —
at the Loose Moose Theatre Company in Calgary, Alberta.

Almost four decades later, although no league or association tracks participation, such
competitions are known to take place at schools and theaters in the United States, Canada and
Australia.

The Columbus league — introduced in January and open to all elementary, middle and high schools
in the district — encompasses six schools; three others are to be added for the 2014-15 academic
year.

“With each team challenging the other in turn, there’s often comical intimidation,” Shipley
said. “Players go over the top to intimidate the other team with challenges in a fun way.”

The challenges vary widely: A setting, style, emotion or game format might be offered to help
define a particular improvised scene.

Whatever the challenge, though, both teams in each round must complete it, with the challenging
team going second.

As with most other improvisational comedy, the audience is enlisted to provide a suggestion to
hone each scene.

Plus, to enhance the variety and game-playing atmosphere, each scene is performed within a
format selected in advance of each round by each team — occasionally original but usually taken
from a lengthy list kept by the coaches.

The league winner on Friday, Shipley said, will take home “the ultimate trophy”: a sparkly pink
football helmet (chosen to reflect the “sports” theme but to avoid copying any school colors in
central Ohio, he said).

The competitive aspect helps students think on their feet and rely on their skills, said Emily
Whittaker, the drama teacher at Dominion and coach of the Devious Devils.

During the playoffs, the six members of the Devious Devils settled on a game called Ding! —
whose rules require that they stay in character but say something different every time a bell
rings.

“For them to think that fast was impressive,” Whittaker said.

West High sophomore Sarah Moats, 16, agreed.

“Our group has a lot of strengths from doing improvisational comedy all the time,” she said. “
You can’t be shy. You have to project your voice and not worry about the people around you.”

Cole, a 17-year-old senior, gave up basketball at Walnut Ridge to compete in TheatreSports.

“At first, it can be hard, but, once you’re warmed up, your brain goes at a super-fast pace,” he
said. “After a while, you just know what to do.”

The TheatreSports creed suggests that players not go for obvious laughs at the expense of
teammates but always aim to help partners look good onstage.

“If we do that,” Cole said, “there’s no beating us.”

In the Columbus league, teams are scored cumulatively in each round (on a scale of zero to five)
for their plotting, rule following and general entertainment level.

The three onstage judges are drawn from FFN, the resident improv troupe at MadLab Theatre.

“Adding a competition aspect gets kids more interested in improv,” said Nikki Smith, an FFN
member who helped judge the first match. “All the kids were so energetic and so happy to be
there.